An unexpected piece of news came the way of Senators fans this morning. Andrew Hammond has signed on for 3 more years, at an AAV of 1 350 000 per season. In doing so, Hammond chooses to avoid free agency and remain in the Senators crease come October.
With three goaltenders all on one-way contracts, the log-jam is in full-effect in Ottawa. 15 contracts allocated to forwards, 8 towards defenders, and now 3 towards goaltenders. Moves will be made.
Lehner’s Days Numbered?
A lot has been made and speculated of Robin Lehner‘s future with the team. Today, a Hammond signing makes a move certain, with Lehner being the likely piece moved.
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Starting goaltender, Craig Anderson has posted a save percentage of greater than .920 over the past few years. That’s good enough to be among the league’s elite. Lehner, still only 23 has played at the league average with a percentage of .915. The numbers aren’t bad and we’ve seen stretches of excellence from the big swede.
Moving Lehner certainly isn’t the popular choice. He’s been the team’s goaltender of the future for more than a few years now, and Hammond’s streak, as incredible as it was, shouldn’t mark the end of Robin Lehner in Ottawa.
That said, if you’re buying what the Hamburger is selling, the Senators could have found themselves a great goaltender for the next three years. However, his playoff and previous AHL performance does not indicate that.
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Others have stated that perhaps Craig Anderson is the one to be moved. Anderson, at 33 is a relatively young goaltender in terms of experience (at least according to Bryan Murray) and may net the Senators the most in terms of potential return. Yet if Anderson is the one to go, the Sens would be sacrificing a lot of stability in the crease, something essential if the overall plan is to win next season.
For now, the Senators have organizational depth at the goaltender position. Perhaps it’s not a bad problem to have, but if you’re hoping Lehner stays in Ottawa, there’s a chance it is.
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